The Authors and Artists Who Have Contributed to Wisdom Tales Books for Teens

 


You can follow
Wisdom Tales Press on:

Facebook LogoPinterest Logo

Wisdom Tales Newsletter

Our periodic e-newsletters keep you up to date with our new books, special offers, etc. It is free, and easy to subscribe (or to unsubscribe):  just click on the secure button below.


Recent Videos on YouTube:


We have a playlist on the World Wisdom YouTube channel, featuring Crow tribe Sun Dance Chief and Medicine Man Thomas Yellowtail.

Click here to view and play any or all of the videos with Thomas Yellowtail, on the YouTube site.

Recent Honors


NYC Big Book Awards:

• Two Winner awards for:

The Clever Wife: A Kyrgyz Folktale

• Two Distinguished Favorite Awards for:

Little Bear: An Inuit Folktale

• Two Winner Awards for:

Zen and the Ten Oxherding Pictures

Wisdom Tales
is a member of:


   

Sharing the wisdom and beauty of cultures from around the world
Home > Authors & Artists of Teen Books

The Authors and Artists of our Teen Books

Feisal Abdul Rauf.  Feisal Abdul Rauf is a writer, speaker, and interfaith leader whose purpose is to help heal the relationship between the Muslim world and the West. Imam Abdul Rauf wrote the foreword to the book The Universal Spirit of Islam. He is also the author of the bestselling book, What’s Right with Islam: A New Vision for Muslims and the West. (Read more on Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf.)

Sri Anandamayi Ma.  Sri Anandamayi Ma (1896-1982) was one of the great Hindu saints of the 20th century. Her special presence and words of wisdom won her many followers and spread her fame. Many of Anandamayi Ma’s sayings were written down and recorded in books. The Essential Sri Anandamayi Ma is a concise and sensitive biography with important selections from her oral teachings, and many beautiful photos. (Read more on Sri Anandamayi Ma.)

John Arlee.  John Arlee is a Salish traditional spiritual leader and teacher. He is the author of Over a Century of Moving to the Drum: Salish Indian Celebrations on the Flathead Reservation. John Arlee has also recorded many traditional songs. Mr. Arlee contributed to the book Native Spirit: The Sun Dance Way, and film interviews with him are also included in the documentary films Native Spirit and The Sun Dance Way. (Read more on John Arlee.)

Amadou Hampaté Bâ.  Amadou Hampâté Bâ (c. 1900-1991) was a well-known Malian diplomat and author of the last half of the twentieth century. Bâ devoted his life to recording, collecting, and preserving the wisdom of sub-Saharan Africa. Mr. Bâ was a student and disciple of an extraordinary Malian Sufi master, about whom he wrote a book, published by World Wisdom under the title A Spirit of Tolerance: The Inspiring Life of Tierno Bokar. (Read more on Amadou Hampâté Bâ.)

Dee Seton Barber.  Dee Seton Barber was the adopted daughter of Ernest Thompson Seton and Julia M. Seton. She wrote the intorduction to The Gospel of the Redman. She was an expert advisor to Seton scholars, collectors, and Woodcrafters worldwide, and was the custodian of Seton Castle in Santa Fe, New Mexico until it was sold in 2004. (Read more on Dee Seton Barber.)

Louis Brenner.  Louis Brenner is Emeritus Professor of the History of Religion in Africa, School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London. He is perhaps the foremost authority on Tierno Bokar, and he wrote the book West African Sufi: the Religious Heritage and Spiritual Search of Cerno Bokar Saalif Taal about him. Dr. Brenner wrote the introduction to the World Wisdom book A Spirit of Tolerance: The Inspiring Life of Tierno Bokar by Amadou Hampâté Bâ. (Read more on Louis Brenner.)

Tantoo Cardinal.  Tantoo Cardinal is considered by many as the world's most widely recognized American Indian actress. Cardinal is the narrator of the documentary DVD Native Spirit. Raised among the Cree, she turned her political activism into an acting career that has included roles as the knowing wife of the medicine man in Dances With Wolves (1990), the poignant childless companion of Rip Torn in Where the Rivers Flow North (1993) and the mother of Brad Pitt's wife in Legends of the Fall (1994). (Read more on Tantoo Cardinal.)

Jane Casewit.  Jane Fatima Casewit is a writer, translator, and educator who lived overseas for many years. She translated the French classic The Life and Teachings of Tierno Bokar by Amadou Hampaté Bâ for the World Wisdom edition, A Spirit of Tolerance: The Inspiring Life of Tierno Bokar. Jane Fatima Casewit has special interest and experience in the education of girls in North Africa. (Read more on Jane Fatima Casewit.)

Jennifer Casey.  Jennifer Casey is the director of the DVDs Native Spirit and The Sun Dance Way. For over 35 years she traveled to many Plains Indian reservations and met with many tribal leaders and Sun Dance chiefs. Jennifer Casey taught elementary school for 10 years. During that time she taught every grade from Kindergarten thru seventh grade in the Bloomington, Indiana school district. She used her unique experiences to expose her students to the history and present-day lives of Native Americans. (Read more on Jennifer Casey.)

John Chryssavgis. The Rev. Dr. John Chryssavgis, Archdeacon of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, is the author of In the Heart of the Desert, Revised: The Spirituality of the Desert Fathers and Mothers. Fr. John coordinates the Social and Moral Issues Commission of the Orthodox Churches in America, and serves as theological advisor to the Ecumenical Patriarch on environmental issues. (Read more on John Chryssavgis.)

Charles Eastman (Ohiyesa).  Ohiyesa, also known as Charles Alexander Eastman, was the first great American Indian author, publishing 11 books from 1902 until 1918. In his later adult life he was the foremost Indian spokesman of his day. Charles Eastman was the central character (played by Adam Beach) portrayed in the HBO Films production Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee. Selections of his writings appear in The Essential Charles Eastman (Ohiyesa) and Living in Two Worlds: The American Indian Experience. (Read more on Charles Eastman.)

Peter Erb.  Peter C. Erb is a professor in the Religion & Culture department at Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Canada. He has researched and written about many areas of pre-twentieth century Christian writing, including German Pietism. Dr. Peter Erb contributed the foreword to The Quiet Way: Selections From The Letters of Gerhard Tersteegen. (Read more on Peter C. Erb.)

Joseph Fitzgerald.  Joseph Fitzgerald has authored or edited several books on diverse world religions and philosophy that have won more than ten awards, including the prestigious Benjamin Franklin Award. His personal experience with American Indian traditions include being adopted into the Crow tribe and the family of Thomas Yellowtail. Joseph Fitzgerald edited George Bird Grinnell’s classic work The Cheyenne Indians, as well as The Essential Sri Anandamayi Ma and Spirit of the Indian Warrior. (Read more on Joseph Fitzgerald.)

Judith Fitzgerald.  Judith Fitzgerald is an award-winning editor, graphic designer, and book designer who focuses her work on religions from around the world. Based in southern Indiana, and working with her husband, Michael, they have created an award-winning series of illustrated inspirational books on the world’s religions, called the “Sacred Worlds” series which has won over ten prestigious awards. As editor or graphic artist, Judith Fitzgerald has collabored on the books Indian Spirit, The Spirit of Indian WomenChristian SpiritThe Sermon of All Creation, and The Universal Spirit of Islam. (Read more on Judith Fitzgerald.)

Michael O. Fitzgerald.  Michael Fitzgerald is an author, editor, and publisher of many award-winning books on world religions, sacred art, tradition, culture and philosophy. He was the adopted son of the late Thomas Yellowtail, and learned much about Plains Indian religion from him. With his wife, Judith, Michael Fitzgerald created the books Indian Spirit, The Spirit of Indian WomenChristian SpiritThe Sermon of All Creation, and The Universal Spirit of Islam. He also edited Living in Two Worlds, The Essential Charles Eastman (Ohiyesa), Native Spirit: The Sun Dance Way, and Spirit of the Indian Warrior. (Read more on Michael Fitzgerald.)

Roger Gaetani.  Roger Gaetani is an editor, writer, translator, producer and educator whose work is focused on communicating the beauty and truth found in religions around the world. In his college studies and in years of living abroad, he came in contact with many spiritual traditions. Gaetani is editor of the book, A Spirit of Tolerance: The Inspiring Life of Tierno Bokar by Amadou Hampâté Bâ. (Read more on Roger Gaetani.)

George Bird Grinnell.  George Bird Grinnell was an historian, naturalist, explorer, sportsman, and conservationist. He helped to establish Yellowstone Park and Glacier National Park and co-founded the first Audubon Society. Grinnell was a long-time editor of Forest and Streammagazine and wrote several landmark books on the Pawnee, Blackfoot and Cheyenne peoples, having lived with and befriended the last generation of people from the Buffalo Days. Grinnell’s work is the focus of the fully illustrated title The Cheyenne Indians, which features over 100 photos and illustrations. (Read more on George Bird Grinnell.)

Ishwar Harris.  Ishwar Harris is a professor of religion specializing in Eastern Religions, and Zen Buddhism in particular, who is the author of numerous books. Following his extensive contact with Keido Fukushima, head abbot of the famous Tofukuji Monastery in Kyoto, Prof. Ishwar Harris wrote a book about him, The Laughing Buddha Of Tofukuji: The Life Of Zen Master Keido Fukushima, published by World Wisdom. (Read more on Ishwar Harris.)

Gerald Hausman.  Gerald Hausman is a writer, editor, teacher, and storyteller. His many books focus particularly on Native American themes and animal mythology. Hausman's work has earned him many honors and awards, and he has also appeared on television and radio programs. Along with co-editor Bob Kapoun, Gerald Hausman edited The Image Taker: The Selected Stories and Photographs of Edward S. Curtis, which features nearly 200 rarely seen photographs from Curtis’ masterpiece, The North American Indian. (Read more on Gerald Hausman.)

Tze-si Huang.  Tze-si “Jesse” Huang is a professional translator. He was born in Chungking, China, but immigrated to the US, where he met his wife, the children's book author and illustrator, Demi. The World Wisdom book Master of Zen: Extraordinary Teachings from Hui Neng’s Altar Sutra(taken from the discourses known as the Platform or Altar Sutra by Hui Neng, the Sixth Patriarch of Chan or Zen Buddhism), was translated and adapted by Tze-si Huang and illustrated by his wife, Demi. (Read more on Tze-si Huang.)

Kenryo Kanamatsu.  Kenryo Kanamatsu was a Japanese scholar, translator, and writer on philosophy and religion. He received his B.A. in Philosophy at Otani University in Kyoto, Japan. Following study under a Fulbright scholarship at Cornell and the University of Chicago, he received his doctorate and then returned to Otani University as a professor. Dr. Kanamatsu was the author of Naturalness, a short but beautiful portrayal of the spirit of Shin Buddhism, a form of spirituality to which he was devoted throughout his life. (Read more on Kenryo Kanamatsu.)

Bob Kapoun.  Bob Kapoun is an important collector and dealer of Edward S. Curtis photographs in Santa Fe, New Mexico. He collaborated with Gerald Hausman on the book The Image Taker: The Selected Stories and Photographs of Edward S. Curtis, employing his extensive knowledge of Curtis’ work with American Indian tribes during the first decades of the twentieth century. (Read more on Bob Kapoun.)

Alexander Lipski.  Dr. Alexander Lipski (1919-2009), was Professor of History and Religious Studies from 1958 to 1984 at California State University, Long Beach, and a writer on topics of European and Indian history and religion. In 1965 he spent time at Sri Anandamayi Ma's ashram in Varanasi and then with the saint herself at Rajgir. Lipski's experiences, insights, and biographical details on her life resulted in his book on her life and teachings. The text of this book was later incorporated into the illustrated book The Essential Sri Anandamayi Ma. (Read more on Alexander Lipski.)

Arvol Looking Horse.  Arvol Looking Horse is widely recognized as a chief and the spiritual leader of all three branches of the Sioux tribe. He is the author of White Buffalo Teachings and a guest columnist for Indian Country Today. Chief Looking Horse is a tireless advocate of maintaining traditional spiritual practices among Indian tribes. His comments are featured in the DVD Native Spirit: The Sun Dance Way and the book Native Spirit: The Sun Dance Way. (Read more on Chief Arvol Looking Horse.)

Elsa Marston.  Elsa Marston is the author of almost two dozen fiction and non-fiction books for children, including the Wisdom Tales books The Compassionate Warrior: Abd el-Kader of Algeria, and The Olive Tree (coming in November, 2014), which is illustrated by Claire Ewart. Ms. Marston’s previous books include Santa Claus in Baghdad and Other Stories about Teens in the Arab World, Figs and Fate: Stories about Growing Up in the Arab World Today, The Byzantine Empire (Cultures of the Past), and Cynthia & the Runaway Gazebo. (Read more on Elsa Marston.)

Joe Medicine Crow.  Dr. Joe Medicine Crow is the former Crow Tribal Historian. He received the Presidential Medal of Freedom (the U.S.A.'s highest civilian honor) from President Barack Obama on August 12, 2009 at a ceremony at the White House. His books include A Handbook of Crow Indian Laws and Treaties, and From the Heart of the Crow Country. Joe Medicine Crow’s contributions to Wisdom Tales are found in: All Our Relatives, The Earth Made New, Native Spirit: The Sun Dance Way (DVD), Native Spirit: The Sun Dance Way, The Image Taker, and Living in Two Worlds. (Read more on Joe Medicine Crow.)

Janine Pease.  Dr. Janine Pease is a renowned American Indian educator and advocate. She was the founding president of the Little Big Horn College in Crow Agency Montana, a past president of the American Indian Higher Education Consortium, a director of the American Indian College Fund, and was appointed by President Clinton to the National Advisory Council on Indian Education. Janine Pease’s contributions to Wisdom Tales are found in The Essential Charles EastmanThe Spirit of Indian WomenNative Spirit: The Sun Dance Way, and in Native Spirit and The Sun Dance Way (DVD). (Read more on Janine Pease.)

Barbara Petzen. Barbara Petzen is a scholar and educator who has done extensive work on building bridges between Western and Muslim societies. She is the founder and current director of Middle East Connections. Barbara Petsen wrote a short but very inspiring “Foreword” to The Compassionate Warrior: Abd el-Kader of Algeria, which was written by Elsa Marston. (Read more on Barbara Petzen.)

Ernest Thompson Seton.  Ernest Thompson Seton was an author, painter, and naturalist, and was co-founder, with Lord Baden-Powell, of the Boy Scouts of America. Seton was especially concerned with the plight of the American Indians and the environment, at a time when both were sadly neglected by society. His stories and paintings of wildlife are standard works on nature study for boys and girls, and continue to be used widely today. The author of over 50 books, Ernest Thompson Seton’s message that nature is a very good thing is more relevant than ever. He is the author of The Gospel of the Redman. (Read more on Ernest Thompson Seton.)

Julia M. Seton.  Julia M. Seton (shown on right with her husband in the photo) wrote The Gospel of the Redman together with her husband Ernest Thompson Seton. She studied at Hunter College, New York, and became an author who published extensively on Native American arts, crafts, and music. Her first book, Rhythm of the Redman, was illustrated by Ernest Thompson Seton, and was published before they married. (Read more on Julia M. Seton.)

Jeff Shore.  Jeff Shore is Professor of International Zen at Hanazono University, Kyoto, Japan, where he has lived since 1981. His translations of modern Zen masters and thinkers have appeared in leading journals on Buddhism and Japanese culture. Prof. Shore has studied and practiced Zen Buddhism for over 30 years, spending over 20 years training under Keido Fukushima. Prof. Jeff Shore contributed a foreword to the book, The Laughing Buddha of Tofukuji, by Ishwar C. Harris, which is about Keido Fukushima. (Read more on Jeff Shore.)

Inés Talamantez.  A member of the Mescalero Apache tribe, Inés M. Talamantez is a professor at the University of California, Santa Barbara. She is the author of Teaching Religion and Healing and has contributed articles to Native Religions and Cultures of North America: Anthropology of the Sacred and Unspoken Worlds: Women's Religious Lives. Film interviews with Prof. Talamantez on American Indian spirituality and advice for American Indian youth are a featured part of the documentary film and DVD Native Spirit: The Sun Dance Way. (Read more on Inés M. Talamantez.)

Gerhard Tersteegen.  Gerhard Tersteegen (1697-1769) was a German Protestant author of deeply spiritual books, sermons, letters, prayers, and hymns, as well as translations of French mystics. After a career as a successful merchant, Tersteegen turned completely to religious pursuits. As his reputation spread, people began coming to him for spiritual guidance, a calling to which he devoted himself the rest of his life. A collection of some of Gerhard Tersteegen's hymns and moving spiritual advice was published as The Quiet Way: A Christian Path to Inner Peace. (Read more on Gerhard Tersteegen.)

Gordon Tootoosis.  Gordon Tootoosis (1941–2011) was one of the best known contemporary First Nations actors and champions of native rights. Born on Saskatchewan’s Poundmaker Reserve, Gordon Tootoosis was raised with a strong Cree belief system and knowledge of the Cree language, art, and worldview. Tootoosis appeared in over 40 films, including Reindeer Games, Alien Thunder, Legends of the Fall, and many others. His television credits include Due South, Lonesome Dove, Hawkeye, and North of 60. Gordon Tootoosis provided the voice of Thomas Yellowtail in Native Spirit: The Sun Dance Way (DVD). (Read more on Gordon Tootoosis.)

Charles Trimble.  Charles “Chuck” Trimble is an American Indian author, journalist, and advocate, and a national leader in Indian affairs. He has written the Foreword to two Wisdom Tales books: Spirit of the Indian Warrior (June 2019), an illustrated book of quotations, and an illustrated edition of Charles Eastman’s Indian Boyhood: The True Story of a Sioux Upbringing (June 2016). Mr. Trimble’s writing is much respected for his ability to engage his readers with lively prose. (Read more on Charles Trimble.)

James Trosper.  James Trosper is Medicine Man and Sun Dance chief of the Shoshone Tribe on the Wind River Indian Reservation in Fort Washakie, Wyoming. He has traveled throughout America, assisting in the continuation of American Indian religious traditions. James Trosper is a director of the Chief Washakie Foundation, a director of the Grand Teton National Park Foundation, and a trustee of the University of Wyoming. James Trosper has contributed to the following Wisdom Tales titles: Indian SpiritLiving in Two Worlds, Native Spirit: The Sun Dance Way (book), and Native Spirit and The Sun Dance Way (2-disc DVD set). (Read more on James Trosper.)

Tetsuo Unno. Rev. Tetsuo Unno (1929–2014) was a Japanese-American author and scholar of religion, and of Jodo Shinsu Buddhism in particular. He also served as Minister at Buddhist Churches of America's Seattle and Senshin (L.A.) Buddhist Churches. He taught Religious Studies at California State University, Northridge and Long Beach. Rev. Unno is the author of the foreword in Naturalness: A Classic of Shin Buddhim by Kenryo Kanamatsu. (Read more on Tetsuo Unno.)

Benedicta Ward.  Sr. Benedicta Ward is the author of many books on medieval topics and has also translated, among other early monastic texts, The Sayings of the Desert Fathers and The Wisdom of the Desert Fathers. She is also a teaching member of the theology faculty and Reader in the History of Christian Spirituality at the University of Oxford. Benedicta Ward contributed a fascinating foreword to the book In the Heart of the Desert, Revised: The Spirituality of the Desert Fathers and Mothers by John Chryssavgis. (Read more on Benedicta Ward.)

Metropolitan Kallistos Ware.  The Most Reverend Metropolitan Kallistos (Ware) of Diokleia is an English bishop within the Greek Orthodox Church. He is an internationally recognized author and translator of Orthodox texts. His most popular works include The Orthodox Church and The Orthodox Way, as well as his translation of the Philokalia with G.E.H. Palmer and Philip Sherrard. Metropolitan Kallistos Ware contributed the foreword to In the Heart of the Desert, Revised: The Spirituality of the Desert Fathers and Mothers by Fr. John Chyssavgis. (Read more on Metropolitan Kallistos Ware.)

Raymond Wilson.  Dr. Raymond Wilson is a well-known author who has written five books, including Ohiyesa: Charles Eastman, Santee Sioux. He has published widely in books, encyclopedias, and dictionaries and professional journals. Dr. Wilson is also Professor of History and former chair of the Department of History at Hays University, Kansas. As one of the most renowned authorities on the writings of Charles Eastman, Dr. Wilson wrote the foreword to The Essential Charles Eastman (Ohiyesa). (Read more on Raymond Wilson.)

Thomas Yellowtail.  Born in 1903, Medicine Man and Sun Dance chief Thomas Yellowtail was a pivotal figure in Crow tribal life in the 20th century. As the principal figure in the Crow-Shoshone Sun Dance religion during the second half of the 20th century, Yellowtail perpetuated the spiritual traditions of his Crow tribe until his death at age 90 in 1993. Thomas Yellowtail’s words are found in the Wisdom Tales titles Indian Spirit: Revised and Enlarged, The Sun Dance Way (DVD), Native Spirit: The Sun Dance Way (the companion book to the DVD documentary), and Living in Two Worlds. (Read more on Thomas Yellowtail.)



Home About Us Contact Us Press Page Privacy Notice FAQs
Copyright © 2012 World Wisdom, Inc.